The Curious Courier Hunt
by AliasCWN
Summary: The Rat Patrol rescues a courier but something isn't right.
1. Chapter 1

**The Curious Courier Hunt**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 1

The lone jeep sat abandoned in the middle of no man's land. Vultures circled overhead while others crowded around a mound on the sand. They flapped their wings and fought noisy battles over the prize they had discovered. At the sound of the two jeeps approaching the gangly birds took flight in a clumsy sort of ballet. Their wide wing span carried them into the air with powerful strokes, turning the awkward movements on the ground into smooth, fluid motion on the wing.

The first of the jeeps drove directly to the mound that just moments before had been the center of so much attention. Sam Troy stared down at the scavenger ravaged face with a frown. The bloated corpse laid face up, the eyes no longer seeing; they were no longer there. The scavengers had been busy for a while, turning the face into something that the guy's own mother wouldn't have been able to recognize. Flies buzzed around the torn flesh, other than the jeep engines, the only sound. Unlike the vultures, the flies weren't disturbed by the arrival of the living.

"Hitch, check for more bodies."

The blond nodded mutely and climbed out of the jeep as Troy slid out to stand over the body. Troy held his breath as he bent over the corpse to search for identification. With one quick jerk he broke the chain on the dog tags and wrapped it around his fingers. Deftly he searched the pockets for personal items that could be returned to the victim's family. Next he took a pad out of his pocket and noted the description of the victim. Height 5 foot 10 inches. weight- approximately 150 Hair- brown eyes-?

Troy looked up as Tully brought his jeep in after circling the area, checking for tracks. Jack Moffitt jumped to the ground to join Troy.

"What do we have?"

Troy looked up from the body and shrugged. "One body. Hitch is checking to see if there are any more. I doubt that he'll find any though, if there were more the vultures would have found them."

Just then his driver returned carrying a leather courier bag. "I didn't find anyone else Sarge." Holding the bag out for Troy to take, he added, "I found this next to the jeep." Troy noted that the strap holding it closed had been cut. Going over to this own jeep, he dumped the contents on the hood.

Sand fell onto the hood along with the contents. "I found that stuff on the ground next to the bag." Hitchcock explained. "It looked like someone dumped it out and took only what they wanted."

The contents consisted of a small, worn Bible, a packet that looked like personal letters, and a few books of matches. Troy picked up the letters and pulled one from its envelope.

"Dear Aaron," it began in a very feminine hand.

"Aaron?" Unwrapping the dog tag chain from around his hand, the sergeant glanced at the name. "Walter Mallory. This must be his driver, the courier is still missing."

"I found the tracks from two German patrol cars on the other side of that hill." Moffitt reported.

"That makes sense." Hitch remarked. "The extra gas and water are missing from the jeep. Someone stripped it of everything of value."

"I also found horse tracks beyond the hill on the other side." Moffitt continued as if he had not been interrupted.

"The Arabs wouldn't haul the gas off, would they?" Tully asked at the sergeant's implied suggestion.

"Maybe," Moffitt explained, "if they thought that they could sell it."

"It would be awkward to carry on a horse." Troy pointed out.

"But not impossible."

"So who took the courier?" Hitch asked, looking to Moffitt for an answer.

"That does seem to be the question without an answer."

"And we need to find that answer." Troy stated. "Unless I miss my guess,…headquarters is going to want both the courier and the packet back." Holding the dog tags in one hand and the letter in the other, Troy made his decision. "Hitch, you, and Tully dig a grave and bury this guy. Moffitt, take a look around and see if you can figure this thing out. I'm going to call the base and let them know what we found. Let them decide what they want us to do."

Moffitt had finished checking the tracks and was wrapping the body in a blanket by the time Troy got off the radio.

"The Captain said to bury the body and go find the courier and those papers."

Moffitt nodded, not surprised that Troy's guess had been spot on. "I don't think that we should hang around here too long." He looked up at the still circling vultures. "They drew our attention, they could draw others."

"Everybody and his brother have already been here." Troy growled. "Any idea where we should start?"

"I followed the horse tracks for a short distance, they weren't dragging a prisoner, and they were moving fast. My best guess, and it's only a guess, I think the Germans took the courier."

Troy sighed, "They have a pretty good lead on us. This guy's been dead for four, maybe five, hours."

"At least." Moffitt agreed.

"All right, we get this guy buried and we head for the nearest German base. If we're lucky the Germans will still have both the courier and the documents."

The two sergeants carried the body over to the newly dug grave. They gently lowered him in and covered him with sand. Using the Bible from the courier's bag, Troy read a short passage, said a shorter prayer, and called to his men. "We're going after the courier and his documents. Moffitt thinks the Germans took him so we'll head for the nearest base. Moffitt, you, and Tully lead out. Let's shake it."

Troy kept a sharp eye on the hills around them as they traveled. He knew that there were a lot of Arab bandits in the area and he didn't want his unit to fall victim to an attack. Vicious fighters, they attacked Axis and Allied soldiers alike. They were experts at sneak attacks and knew the desert intimately. The four men in the jeeps knew all too well just how effective those attacks could be, they used the same tactics themselves.

Continuing to swivel his head to search the surrounding hills, Troy paid special attention to the rock formations and the occasional clump of vegetation. Either one would provide cover for an enemy bent on attacking them. The sweat ran down his face, wetting the collar of his shirt. The damp shirt in turn collected fine particles of sand, making it feel like he had sandpaper against his skin. Every move rubbed another spot tender, borderline painful. He tried to wipe it away but even as he brushed it with his hand, he knew it was useless. The fine dust clung to skin and clothing alike, rubbing areas that were never meant to be sanded. The sergeant wondered idly if the Arabs minded it or if they were so used to it that they no longer even noticed.

They were heading for a part of the road that wound its way through a long, narrow valley when the hairs rose on the back of his neck. He glanced over at this driver to see the blond eying the hills on both sides uneasily. Tully slowed his jeep as Moffitt twisted in his seat to study the hills ahead of them. Time seemed to stand still as each man reacted to his own internal warning. The jeeps kept moving forward yet every nerve was tuned to the feeling of danger that each man sensed.

Troy tensed, ready to jump into the back behind the 50. As if sensing trouble, the vultures had shadowed them as they raced across the desert. They circled overhead in lazy spirals, observing the scene below. The sergeant glanced up and wondered if they knew something that the humans didn't.

The walls of the valley closed in around them, hemming them in, dictating the path that they needed to take. Troy didn't like the narrow trail ahead; it left them no room to maneuver. The jeeps were more agile than their German counterparts, but they still couldn't defy nature. The loose sand on the steep slopes refused to allow even the sturdy little jeeps any traction. Their only path was forward, turning around would slow them down and give the enemy the advantage. The enemy knew the dilemma they would face and they would be prepared to take advantage of it.

"Moffitt."

When the other sergeant acknowledged his call, Troy pitched his voice to carry to the other jeep. "Dig out the grenade launcher; if they hit us we're going to need an edge."

Moffitt didn't answer as he crawled over the back of his seat to root around in the back of the jeep. He smiled triumphantly as he moved some gear aside to reveal the compressed tube of the launcher.

"The grenades are in a box by the water cans." Tully called over his shoulder.

The sergeant shifted everything so it would be within easy reach from the front seat. Carefully, so he wouldn't be thrown from the jeep if he lost his balance, Moffitt made his way back to his seat. His eyes never stopped searching the crest of the hills for movement.

They passed through the first half of the valley safely, reaching the halfway point with no attack being launched. Troy expected the enemy to let them reach the center of the valley, effectively narrowing their escape route in either direction. He didn't think that they would wait much longer though, the nearer they got to the end, the shorter their run to freedom once the attack started. He leaned forward; shading his eyes from the setting sun. The glare shone directly into his eyes, a handicap he knew that he would use to his advantage if he were the one planning an attack.

The vultures had been dropping lower and lower as they traveled through the valley. Troy looked up as they suddenly caught the updrafts and flapped their wings, rising fast.

"Go!" Troy yelled the warning just as the first of many heads appeared over the crest of the hill. He turned his head to see more Arabs showing themselves on the other side of the valley. Twisting, he scrambled for the rear of his jeep and the heavy gun mounted there. "Move it!" He yelled at Tully in the lead jeep.

Hitchcock held back, keeping some distance between the two vehicles, minimizing the size of the target. Troy opened fire with the 50, forcing the attackers on one side to duck for cover. Unfortunately, the ones on the other side had clear shots at the jeeps.

Bullets whipped past his head, sounding like angry bees. He heard Hitchcock yelp and saw him duck lower over the steering wheel. The jeep swerved a few feet to the side before it straightened out again. Troy turned his gun to the other side to force those Arabs to dive for cover. Now the Arabs on the first side rejoined the fight.

"Moffitt! A little help here!"

In answer Moffitt launched a grenade into the Arabs bunched together on the first side. Startled yells and screams attested to his accuracy. The detonation sent a cloud of dirt skyward, temporarily obscuring them from their attackers. Tully took full advantage of the lull in firing to cover some ground. Troy's gun was still holding the Arabs on the second side, none of them willing to face it to take a shot at the speeding jeeps.

"Moffitt!"

Moffitt loaded another grenade and launched it at the second group of bandits. The results were much the same as with the first one. The bandits didn't have time to run and there was not enough cover to protect them. Several of them dove down the front of the slope to avoid the explosion only to run into the bullets from Troy's 50.

Tully's jeep broke out of the ambush and ran for the open desert. Moffitt launched another grenade at the first group who had recovered from their surprise and were getting reorganized. His aim was slightly off but it landed close enough that it forced the Arabs to duck, giving the jeeps a few brief moments of opportunity. They took full advantage of it to get clear of the valley.

Hitch pulled his jeep up next to the other one as the hills ended and the road opened wide. The two vehicles raced side by side as the sergeants manned their heavy machine guns in case the Arabs were foolish enough to give chase. They stayed on alert for the next several miles, just to be sure that they were clear.

Finally Troy climbed over his seat and sat in the padded leather. "I think that we lost them."

"They may still follow Sarge." Hitchcock warned without taking his eyes off of the road.

"I doubt it." Troy responded. "We don't have anything to make it worth their while and we already took a heavy toll."

"What about the noise?"

"Couldn't be helped." Troy shrugged. "If anyone comes to investigate, we'll be ready."

The blond nodded, still without looking at Troy, and popped a bubble. Troy heard it pop and looked over with a smile. He wondered what it would take to make the young soldier swallow his gum. No matter how much trouble they managed to find, he couldn't remember that ever happening.

He looked over at the other jeep to see Moffitt putting the grenade launcher back where he had found it. The other sergeant looked up, saw him watching, and smiled. Troy grinned in return; the launcher had given them the edge they had needed to escape the trap.

They pulled into a wadi near the German base as darkness was falling. They had had to deviate from their course once to avoid a German scout column and had lost a bit of time getting back on track. While the privates guarded the jeeps, the sergeants took their binoculars and went in search of a vantage point to spy on the German base.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Curious Courier Hunt**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 2

"I don't see any guards other than those on the perimeter." Moffitt announced after a long survey of the base.

"They could have him at headquarters. Maybe they haven't locked him up yet." Troy scanned the compound as he murmured his suggestion.

'I could have been wrong." The British sergeant admitted. "Maybe they don't have him at all."

Troy frowned at the suggestion. If they had made a mistake, it had cost them half a day of wasted time and two full tanks of gas. "If we have to chase down those Arabs we're going to have to steal some gas from the Germans to replace what we used. As long as we're here, let's make sure they don't have him."

"I'll take first watch if you want to catch a quick nap. You can relieve me in an hour."

"Why don't we let Hitch take first watch? Tully can relieve him in an hour. We're going to need to be alert when we check the base; these two can drive in their sleep."

Moffitt laughed. "True, but where would we end up?"

Troy shrugged with a smile. "I guess we'll find out. Let's grab something to eat and get some rest. We'll go in about 0100 hours."

"A bit earlier than our usual time." The Brit noted with a question in his tone.

"No sense being predictable." Troy responded. "We have to keep things interesting or everyone gets bored."

"Oh heavens no!" Moffitt murmured in mock shock. "That would just not do at all."

"So we go in around 0100." Troy repeated. "Besides, I can use an early night. We've been burning the candle at both ends for days now."

"I'm willing; I wonder what's for dinner."

"Don't ask." Troy grinned.

They returned to the jeeps where Troy handed his binoculars to Hitchcock and told him that he had first watch. "Tully, relieve Hitch in three hours. We're going to eat and get some rest. We'll go in about 0100."

"Right Sarge, I'll have something hot to eat in a few minutes." Tully answered.

No, we'll eat it cold; I don't want a fire to alert the base to our presence. If they have that courier they may already be on alert."

"Okay Sarge, I'll dig out some meals that aren't horrible cold."

Troy tried to hide his smile at the comment. "Have you been holding out on us Tully?"

"What do you mean Sarge?" Tully asked in confusion.

"I didn't know we had anything that didn't taste terrible hot or cold."

Tully dropped his head and grinned. "You know what I meant Sarge."

"Yeah Tully, I do. Dig us out a few meals. And Tully," Troy waited for the lanky private to look up at him, "thanks."

"Sure Sarge, no problem."

Tully found the meals and allowed the sergeants to take the first picks of those available. Once they made their choices, he headed to where Hitchcock stood guard with the other two. "Hey Hitch!"

Hitch heard Tully's approach before he heard his soft call. Lowering the glasses, he half turned to face him. "What's up?"

"Brought you your supper; you can have first pick." Tully held both meals out for Hitch to take his pick.

"That one." Hitch pointed without looking to see what they held. "Cold supper huh?"

"Yeah, Sarge was worried that a fire might alert the Germans if they aren't already watching for us."

"Makes sense." The blond nodded, his fingers busy trying to open the meal. "I don't know why they make these so hard to open." Hitch grunted. "It's not like they're worth the effort or anything."

"Here." Tully offered, taking the packet while Hitch took another quick look toward the base. Pulling his knife, he cut the packet open and handed it back.

He sat next to Hitchcock and opened his own meal. They chewed in silence, enjoying the quiet moments together. After a hectic day, it felt good to sit and relax. A guard had to be alert but it was still more relaxing than the strain of combat. They could let their thoughts wander as long as their eyes stayed trained on their surroundings. Even in that relaxed state anything out of the ordinary would register on their subconscious and bring them back to full alert.

"Huh."

Tully looked over at Hitch who was looking at his meal packet.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Hitch answered with a shrug. "It's just that I just ate that whole thing and I can't really tell you what I ate."

Tully laughed, "They're not that bad."

"They're not that good either." Hitch retorted.

"Okay, I'm not going to argue with you. I'm just saying it beats going hungry."

Now Hitch laughed. "I'd argue that point but I have to admit, they might beat starving by just a tiny bit."

"See." Tully replied smugly.

"Okay, you win. Satisfied?"

"Yep."

"Do you think that courier's at the base?" Hitch focused the glasses on the base.

"I don't know." Tully admitted. "What I do know is that we need to find out. Headquarters said to bring both him and the documents back with us."

"What if the Germans already read them?"

"Captain Boggs said that they were in code according to Moffitt. Unless they broke the code we should be all right."

Hitch chewed his gum and stared off toward the base. "I wonder if the courier knows the code."

"They wouldn't send a coded message with a courier who could decode it." Tully reasoned. "That would defeat the purpose of coding it in the first place."

"I wonder if the Germans have thought of that."

Tully twisted to look toward the base, thinking about Hitchcock's comment. "If they haven't….I wouldn't want to be that guy." He finally drawled. He finished his meal and gathered all of the papers and foil from the packets. "I'll bury these and make a pass around the perimeter. We're close enough that it can't hurt to be extra careful."

Hitch nodded, his attention on the base. He heard Tully policing the campsite and then a short time later he heard him circling the camp. Tully called again, softly, before he approached.

"All quiet."

"You'd better get some rest then while you can." Hitch suggested.

"See you in a couple of hours."

"Okay." Hitch glanced down a few minutes later to check the locations of all three of the others. If trouble found them he wanted to know where his friends were sleeping. Then he began his own rounds of the camp, always taking extra time to check the base as he rounded that side.

Tully relieved him before midnight, freeing him to take a quick nap before the sergeants left. "I'll be back when Sarge and Doc leave. I can do the rounds while you keep an eye on the base." Tully agreed, knowing that the walking would help Hitch stay awake since he would be getting less sleep. The camp was still and quiet when Hitch pulled his blanket out of the jeep. He moved as quietly as he could so that he wouldn't wake the sergeants any sooner than necessary. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the ground. The next thing he knew, Troy was standing over him calling his name.

"We're leaving Hitch; help Tully guard the jeeps until we get back. Be ready in case the camp wakes up."

"Right Sarge."

"I have no idea how long this is going to take."

"We'll be here Sarge."

Troy smiled at the answer. "You know what you have to do. We trust you and Tully to make the right decisions."

"We got it Sarge." Hitch grumbled sleepily. "I'm awake."

"See you when we get back."

"We'll be ready." The blond rolled out of his blanket to prove that he was awake. He stood next to Tully and watched as the two sergeants made their way to the base. The night was too dark to see much but they could make out the guards on the walls because of the lights behind them. Both Tully and Hitch watched closely for any sign that one of them had spotted the sergeants. Time passed and there were no alarms sounded, no flurry of activity, or any soldiers running for the gates.

Satisfied, Hitch began to walk the perimeter of the camp while Tully watched the base. Two hours passed quietly with neither private seeing anything alarming. They were beginning to watch for the sergeants, expecting them back at any time.

"I'll make another circuit; let me now if you see them." Hitch dropped his binoculars to hang from the strap around his neck as he left to make another circle. He carried his rifle casually, the quiet night deceiving.

As he reached the far side of the camp he paused to look across the desert floor. Nothing moved to catch his eye. Not being able to see far, he strained his ears for any sound that didn't belong. Faint sounds drifted on the night air from the distant German base but those he expected to hear. Those were normal sounds for a large base shut down for the night. He could just make out the sounds of the guards calling 'all's well' as the captain of the guard made his rounds. There didn't seem to be any break in the rhythm so he was fairly certain that Troy and Moffitt had not needed to take out any guards going in. From what he could tell, all of the guards on the front of the wall had already checked in.

A faint sound disturbed his sense of tranquility. Instantly he was alert, straining to identify the source. He glanced toward Tully but the other private was intent on watching the base. Hitch took a hesitant step, not having located the source of his unease. Some sixth sense made him turn, spinning on one heel. A dark shape charged at him from out of nowhere with his arm raised above his head, his hand clutching a long bladed dagger. Hitch thrust his rifle in front of him to block the descent of the knife. Throwing his weight into the move, he hit the attacker in the jaw with the stock of his weapon. He heard the bone snap as the blow connected, sending his assailant flailing backwards. The form crumbled to the ground in a boneless heap.

A second form charged past his fallen comrade catching the blond in an awkward position; all of his weight was poised on one leg and his rifle was pointed in the wrong direction. Hitch saw the second attacker's arm drop toward his chest. He could see the razor sharp blade flash by only inches from his face. He fell to the ground as the knife struck, hoping to throw his assailant off balance and weaken the blow. Pain exploded in his head as he landed on a rock. He felt the knife penetrate but he was too hyped on adrenaline to pay it any mind. Shoving the attacker away, he rolled clear. The attacker grabbed at the rifle as he followed Hitch to his feet. Hitch released his rifle with his right hand and pulled his own knife. Stepping forward to prevent the assailant from using the rifle, he thrust the knife at the dark form. His knife found its mark, penetrating deeply, sending warm blood gushing over his hand and down his arm.

With a grunt he shoved the body away from him, staggering slightly at the effort. Another slight sound behind him had him spinning with his knife in hand.

"Easy Hitch, it's only me!" Tully held up a hand to halt Hitch's attack.

"Geez Tully, don't sneak up on me like that!" Hitch wheezed breathlessly.

"Sorry, I didn't want these other guys to know that I was coming." Tully explained, looking down at the Arabs lying at his feet. "Hitch, are you all right, your arm is all bloody?" Tully reached for his friend to help support him.

"It's not mine." Hitch answered, dropping to his knees.

"What about the other blood?"

"What? What other blood?" Hitch looked down at himself as his wound suddenly announced its presence. The blond swayed, putting a hand on the ground to steady himself. "Forgot about that one." He admitted sheepishly. "The second guy got me with his knife."

"Better let me take a look at it." Tully insisted.

"Tie that one up first, I only knocked him out." Hitch indicated the first Arab by jerking his head in his direction, only to remember that he had hit his head on a rock. Gingerly touching the spot with his fingers, he found the lump and the wet blood running down his neck. "Guess I cut my head too."

"Okay," Tully said, "You sit here; I'll tie this guy up and get a medical kit." Tully hurried to the jeeps and quickly located some cord and the medical kit. He tied the prisoner hand and foot and ignored him for the moment. "Come on Hitch, there is a flashlight in the jeep but I can't use it up here or the guards at the base might see it. You sit in the jeep and I'll get you patched up." Taking his friend's arm, Tully helped him down the slope to the jeep. "Can you hold the flashlight?"

"Yeah, no problem."

With Hitch holding the light, Tully pulled his shirt open and examined the wound. "It's not too deep. It looks like the knife hit the binoculars and glanced off." Tully announced.

"Great, now Sarge will be mad because I spoiled his binoculars." Hitch sighed dramatically.

Tully laughed, relieved that the wound wasn't more serious. "They're only scratched, not broken." He assured the blond. "The lenses aren't even scratched. It looks like you were lucky, the glasses saved you from a nasty wound."

"I guess," Hitch admitted, "my head hurts worse than my chest."

Tully took the flashlight and checked the head wound. The cut was small but deep and blood still flowed freely from the laceration. Grabbing some gauze, Tully rolled it up and held it against the cut. "Hold this." While Hitch held the roll of gauze Tully wrapped a bandage around his head to hold the roll in place. Then he returned to cleaning and wrapping the chest wound. When he was finished he used the light to check the other driver's eyes. Much to his relief both pupils looked normal. "I guess you'll do. The knife wound was shallow and I have the bleeding stopped. The head wound is still bleeding a little but head wounds always bleed a lot. How are you feeling?"

"Fine. I have a headache but nothing I haven't had before. My arm seems to be moving okay without pulling on the chest wound." Hitch moved his arm to prove that it really did move okay.

Tully nodded, "Why don't you sit here while I go collect our prisoner? Doc may want to ask him some questions."

"Help me up the hill, I can watch for Sarge and Doc while you get our prisoner settled."

"I won't be long. If they come out at a run we may have to get to the jeeps fast. You're better off here."

Hitch watched as Tully collected the Arab and stashed him in the rear of the jeep. Tully was forced to carry him since he still hadn't come around. He dumped him into the jeep and tied him to the base of the 50. Coming around to the other jeep, Tully held out Hitch's kepi. "I found this up on the hill, thought that you might miss it."

"Thanks, I guess it might fit over this bandage." The blond gingerly fit the hat onto his head, wincing at the pressure on the lump on his skull.

Tully returned to watching for the sergeants but Hitch kept his attention on the hill where he had been attacked. Just because he hadn't seen anyone else, it didn't mean that there was no one else there.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Curious Courier Hunt**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 3

Troy led the way over the wall, slipping past the guard unnoticed. Their first stop was the cells where prisoners were usually held. They crept along the walls on the outside peering into the windows as they passed. Only two cells were occupied but the both prisoners appeared to be German soldiers. As they looked into the last window Troy shrugged his shoulders in defeat.

"Headquarters?" Moffitt suggested.

"Do we have a choice?"

"We could try to find someone to ask." He smiled. "The problem with that is that they my not have the answers we need."

"Let's check headquarters first. We can try to grab someone if we don't find any clues there." Troy glanced around; uneasy with searching a base without knowing where to look; the longer they stayed the more danger they put themselves in.

"Then by all means, lead on." Moffitt instructed with a flourish.

Since the headquarters building was only on the next block the two sergeants proceeded carefully. Going around the back, they found a roof that they could use to access the building they wanted. They climbed onto the first roof and waited for a guard to pass before jumping to the next one. The second floor windows were dark, the offices closed for the night. Several of the offices on the first floor were still light but there were guards patrolling outside of those doors.

Moffitt pulled a knife and slid it around the mechanism, slipping it to the side. With a triumphant smile the British sergeant pulled the window open and crawled inside. Troy followed a moment later, leaning out after he was inside to make sure they hadn't been spotted. He could make out the helmet of the sentry as he walked through the alley below. Everything remained quiet. Pulling his head back in, he waited until the guard turned the corner before closing the window. Turning toward the room behind him, he nodded to Moffitt to let him know that all was well.

Voices in the hall startled them both. Looking around for a place to hide, they chose a curtain covering a stairway to the roof. Troy climbed the stairs to see if the door to the roof was locked while Moffitt stayed below to stand guard.

Hidden behind the curtain, Moffitt listened as two German soldiers entered the office. They turned on a light, went straight to a filing cabinet, and opened a drawer. The two German officers talked as one of them sorted through the files and pulled a folder, checking its contents. Satisfied, he took the file and crossed to the desk to turn the light out. The two officers left the office dark like they found it before locking the door behind them.

As the key turned in the lock Moffitt let his body sag with relief. Troy waited until the German voices faded away before returning to the base of the stairs.

"Everything okay?"

"Fine." Moffitt reported. "But we may as well get out of here."

"What'd you hear?"

"There is a prisoner being held here." The British sergeant explained. "Right now he's downstairs but they have sent for some guards to escort him to his cell."

"Cooperative aren't they?"

"Very."

"All right, let's get back to the cell block. Did they happen to mention the documents?"

"Afraid not."

"We'll break the courier out and ask him. I sure hope that we don't have to come back here to find them. With any luck, he hid them before he got picked up." Troy glanced at his watch, "We'd better hurry, it's getting late."

"As long as we're here, do you want me to take a peek at their files? The courier won't be in his cell for a few minutes yet."

"Make it quick." Troy urged.

Moffitt nodded and crossed the room to the filing cabinet. Using a penlight he scanned the contents of the files. Troy stood by the window, looking out, trying to hide his impatience. Finally Moffitt closed the last drawer, holding three files in his hands. "These might interest headquarters." He held up the three folders and waved them around with a smile.

"What are they?"

"Information on several bases we have been watching and a very interesting file on an unnamed spy."

"Will they miss them tomorrow?"

"I took everything, folders, and all. Unless they start hunting something in them they may not miss them for days. Hopefully they'll just think that they were misplaced." Moffitt smiled as a thought occurred to him. "I could sign them out to one of their officers. There are several officers who just left for two week furloughs."

"Won't that draw attention to the fact that they are missing?"

"Possibility."

"Then no, we'll let them figure it out for themselves. Are you done here?"

"Yes."

"All right, let's go get our courier and ask him where his documents got to."

Moffitt tucked the folders inside his shirt and picked up his rifle. Troy opened the window and climbed out. Moffitt followed, closing the window behind them. They jumped to the next roof and waited for the guard to make his next pass.

They arrived back at the original building without running into any other soldiers or alert sentries. As they watched the guards, trying to figure out how to get past them, an officer stepped out of the building, followed by two enlisted men.

"The prisoner's escorts no doubt." Moffitt whispered.

The officer spoke briefly to the guard, his tone curt and angry. The guard stood stiffly, enduring the criticism stoically.

"He's accusing the guard of being lax." Moffitt translated in a whisper. "He's telling him that if he finds out that he left his post he'll have him court-martialed."

Troy nodded, his eyes on the guard. "That could work for us. After that warning he may not come to investigate if he hears some small noise."

"Shall we try the back door?"

"Yeah," Troy agreed, "I don't think that we want to go in the front door. We don't have time to get any German uniforms and I have a feeling that the guard will be checking papers pretty closely tonight."

The back door had a rusty padlock on it. Moffitt inspected the lock critically. "I don't know if I can open it. The lock itself is pretty rusty. Even with a key it might not open."

Troy leaned on the wall next to the door and glanced at the lock. Looking around for the guards, he whispered to Moffitt. "Try it anyway; we don't have a lot of time."

Moffitt nodded and pulled on the lock. To his surprise, the hasp pulled loose from the door frame as the screws pulled out of the wood.

Troy looked over at Moffitt's unexpected chuckle.

"It just pulled loose. I think that if we close the door carefully it will look like it is still locked. It won't pass a close inspection but perhaps no one will check."

Troy looked at the hasp and shrugged.

Moffitt smiled as he opened the door. They found themselves in a dark hall. The British sergeant pulled the door shut slowly, keeping his eye on the hasp. Satisfied that it was going to stay in place, he gave Troy a smile.

Feeling his way along the wall, Troy led the way. The hallway met another hall leading deeper into the building. Doors, closed now, opened off of the hallway to small rooms, most of them converted into offices. There were two sets of stairs at the end of the hall, one leading up, the other leading down.

The sergeants chose the one going down. It led to the cells. The guard at the bottom of the stairs had his feet up on a chair reading a book. His back was to the stairs and he didn't see the two sergeants. Unfortunately he was too far away to reach before he could sound an alarm. Moffitt put a finger to his lips and started toward the guard quietly. The guard heard his soft footsteps and began to turn toward him.

"Attention!" Moffitt called out in German. The guard immediately snapped to attention. Moffitt hit him over the head before he could turn to face him.

The guard in the cell block heard the call and was at attention when Troy rounded the corner. He never had a chance to sound the alarm because Troy pounced on him immediately. Leaving him where he fell, the sergeant ran to the cells. At the first cell he was prepared to silence the German prisoner, only to find the man snoring loudly, a pool of vomit on the floor next to his bunk. The soldier in the second cell appeared to be suffering from an overabundance of alcohol too. As Troy looked in he rolled over in his bunk, talking in his sleep. Moving on, Troy checked the other cells to find the American prisoner. He found him half way down the row of cells.

"Wake up." Troy called to the prisoner. He began trying keys in the lock.

"What are you doing?" The prisoner called from his cell.

"We're here to get you out." Troy answered. "Come on."

"No! Go away!" The prisoner called much louder than necessary.

Troy looked up, surprised at the man's reaction. "We're here to take you home."

"I'm not going. You'll get me killed taking me out of here."

"We'll keep you safe." Troy assured him. "The Germans don't even know we're here."

"I won't go!"

Troy pointed his gun at the courier and snapped at him. "You're coming with us whether you like it or not." He warned. "Keep your voice down and come on."

"No, I won't!"

"Listen, you get out here or I'll save the Germans a bullet." The American eyed the sergeant warily. "Now!" Slowly, he stepped into the hall. Troy pushed him ahead of him. "Moffitt, lead out." The rescued prisoner balked at every opportunity. Troy had to keep prodding him with a rifle barrel.

"Just leave me here." The prisoner hissed. "You've got a better chance without me."

"Go!" Troy growled in return.

When they got to the door leading to the outside, Moffitt stood guard until Troy and the ex-prisoner were safely in the shadows. He followed, aware that the guard would soon be checking the alley.

"Hurry, the guard will be making his rounds soon."

"We'll let him pass before we try to make it to the wall." Troy decided. "I'd rather know exactly where he is before we start."

Moffitt crouched in the shadows at one end if the alley and watched for the guard while Troy watched from the other end. They heard the sentry before they saw him. Both men followed him with their weapons as he checked the back door. He didn't seem to notice the loose hasp, continuing past the door and around the corner.

Troy relaxed as the guard disappeared around the building. He looked toward Moffitt and smiled. A loud bang behind him startled them both. He turned to see the courier leaning over an overturned barrel that just moments before had been standing on end.

"What the …?"

"I tripped." The courier explained innocently.

"Down!" Moffitt hissed.

Troy spun to see the guard returning. He was cautiously poking his rifle around the corner.

Moffitt swore loudly in German. He followed that with a little ditty in a drunken sing-song voice. The guard called out, searching for the singer. Moffitt answered his call, offering to share his bottle. The guard smiled and lowered his rifle. Stepping forward eagerly, he headed for the alley. Moffitt called to him again, slurring his words. The sentry turned toward him. Troy rose up behind him and hit him over the head. The guard crumpled into a heap.

"Let's go!" Troy called. Again he used his rifle to prod the other American forward. "Just a little warning," he whispered in the other man's ear, "any noise or attempt to attract attention and you will be the first to die."

"It was an accident."

"That may be," Troy admitted, "but we can't risk you talking so we'll have to make sure that you can't. I'd be a lot more careful if I were you."

The courier swallowed hard and met the angry eyes of the sergeant. If the words and tone hadn't told him that the sergeant was serious, Troy's expression did. Moving more carefully, he tried to crowd closer to Moffitt, avoiding Troy.

"Let's move it!" Troy hissed to Moffitt. "That guard is going to be missed, and soon."

As expected, the guard on the wall had been changed since they had first entered the base. The sergeants watched the new one, trying to determine just how alert he was in performing his duties.

"I think we should find another way out." Moffitt whispered. "This one isn't going to look the other way anytime soon."

Troy nodded and waited for Moffitt to lead the way. Taking up the rear, he divided his attention between watching for Germans and watching their reluctant companion.

A group of soldiers were walking along the street toward them. None of them were armed but Troy didn't want them raising an alarm. He saw Moffitt dodge into the shadows beside a truck. Poking the other American with his rifle barrel, Troy leaned forward to growl in his ear. "Stay quiet and stay still." The ex-prisoner nodded nervously and ducked even lower toward the ground.

Five minutes later they slipped over the wall where a young guard stared sleepily into space. With Troy covering him, the courier placed his feet carefully, afraid of making even the slightest sound.

Suddenly the alarm siren began to sound. Soldiers scurried from buildings, some only half dressed, trying to finish dressing on the run.

"They found the guard." Moffitt announced unnecessarily.

"One of them at least." Troy agreed. "Run for it!"

The searchlights were beginning to light up the perimeter of the base. The three men ran as hard as they could for the darkness beyond the reach of the lights. Shouts were coming from all over the base as officers tried to find out what was happening even as they attempted to organize their men.

Tully heard the alarm and frantically tried to locate the sergeants. As the searchlights began to pan back and forth he caught a brief flash of movement just outside the wall. Calling to Hitch, he ran for his jeep.

Troy pushed his reluctant companion ahead of him as he raced for the wadi where the jeeps were hidden.

Moffitt yelled 'down' and dove for the ground. Troy knocked the other American flat and then dropped next to him. The searchlight moved over them without stopping. As soon as it passed Moffitt jumped to his feet and began running again.

Troy reached down and grabbed a handful of shirt and pulled. He lifted the other man off the ground by sheer strength. "Move!"

"We can't outrun them." The courier whined. "They're going to catch us."

"We have jeeps waiting." Troy huffed.

That seemed to galvanize the courier into action. He took off running, leaving Troy behind. They were still a hundred yards from the wadi when the jeeps came flying out to meet them. Both jeeps cut in front of them and slowed so that the sergeants could jump on board.

Moffitt noticed the Arab in the passenger seat but there was no time to question Tully about him. He climbed behind the 50 and cleared the chamber. Tully had already pulled the dust cover in preparation for the anticipated action.

Troy shoved the courier toward the front seat of his jeep while he dove for the back. Hitch took off again before he could get his balance behind the big gun. Troy checked to make sure that the passenger was seated before he yelled to his driver. "Shake it!" He kept his eyes and his attention on the German base. Bullets began to pelt the sand around the speeding jeeps but the Germans never really had time to get the range before the two vehicles were lost to the darkness.

Headlights revealed several vehicles leaving the base to pursue the jeeps. Troy and Moffitt used the lights to estimate their own range and they soon shot out the headlights. The German vehicles ground to a halt as bullets tore into the engines of their cars. Tully set the pace, sticking to the road for the first couple of miles to get clear of the base before cutting across the desert to lose any pursuit.

Troy kept them moving for another hour, all the time watching behind them. The sky was starting to lighten by the time he finally called a halt. The jeeps swung into a wadi that offered them a bit of cover and the driver's shut the engines down.

Hitch sighed with relief as he slid out of his seat. Troy turned to tease him about having an easy night but the words stuck in his throat when his driver turned to face him.

"What happened to you?"

"He happened." Hitch pointed toward the Arab sitting in Tully's jeep. "Actually, it was him and a friend of his." Hitch continued.

"You'd better let me take a look at that." Moffitt urged as he noted the bloody bandages.

"They're not bad Doc; Tully took care of them for me." The blond insisted.

"It can't hurt to check them again." The Brit stated matter-of-factly.

"Tully?"


	4. Chapter 4

**The Curious Courier Hunt**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 4

Tully turned from watching the Arab at the call from Troy. "Yeah Sarge?"

"What happened?"

"It was about two hours after you left." Tully began. "I was standing guard while Hitch walked the perimeter. I heard a noise and turned to see Hitch fighting someone. By the time I reached him he'd killed one and knocked the second one unconscious. I tied the live one up and got Hitch down to the jeep. I did what I could to patch him up."

"How bad?" Troy lowered his voice and glanced toward his driver as he asked.

"The knife hit the binoculars he had hanging around his neck. It glanced off and penetrated his chest at a steep angle. The wound is shallow. I don't think it punched through to the lungs. He's breathing all right. The head wound bled a lot but I managed to get that under control. He fell and cut his head on a rock when the first Arab attacked him. I gave him aspirin for the headache."

"And the arm?"

"The knife wound didn't affect his arm." Tully explained.

"What about all of the blood on his arm and hand?" Troy persisted.

"Oh." Tully glanced over and grinned. "That's not his; it belongs to the dead guy."

Troy relaxed at the report, relieved that it wasn't worse. Walking over to where Moffitt was changing the dressings, he nodded at the other sergeant.

Moffitt smiled at his unasked question. "They're not bad Troy. A shallow cut and a bump on his head. I dare say, it seems the other fellow fared much worse."

"I didn't see them Sarge." Hitch started to explain. "They almost got me. I heard something and I didn't know what it was but it made the hair on my neck stand on end. I had just started to turn when they jumped me."

"Any idea who they are?" Troy asked Moffitt.

"My guess, they're bandits." Moffitt jerked his head in the direction of the Arab. "He looks to be a part of the same tribe we met earlier."

"They followed us?"

"Either that or they were away from the band and stumbled over our camp. Maybe they spotted the jeeps with only two guards and decided they could take them and score something of value." Moffitt finished tying off the final bandage and began cleaning his hands. "Do you need anything for the headache Hitch?"

"No," the blond answered, shaking his head gingerly. "I'm all right for now."

Turning toward Troy, he continued the conversation. "I could talk to him and see what I can find out."

"Go ahead," Troy agreed, "I need to talk to our courier and see if he knows where his documents are now." The sergeant circled around the jeeps and walked to where the other American stood leaning on a rock and watching everything that was happening. "Corporal, it's time to talk."

"About what Sergeant?" The Corporal asked warily. "I told you, I was worried about getting shot trying to escape. Now that we're free, everything is fine." The Corporal smiled at Troy.

"Not quite." Troy ignored the smile.

"What do you mean?"

"The documents you were carrying." Troy explained. "We have orders to retrieve the documents."

"They're gone Sergeant." The Corporal argued. "Some Arabs took them before the Germans chased them off."

"Why didn't they take you too?"

"I was hiding in some rocks at the top of the hill. I guess they would have come for me but the Germans got there first. They stripped the jeep, took the documents, and were talking and pointing toward me when the German patrol showed up. Then they took off over the hill and I saw them riding away on horses."

"What about your driver?"

"Walter? His name was Walter Mallory. What about him?"

"What happened to him?"

"Our jeep overheated and he was working on it when the Arabs hit us. He got hit in the first few minutes; there was nothing that I could do."

"What's your name Corporal?"

"Kashaw. They call me 'Crusher'. Where do we go from here Sergeant?"

"We find those Arabs Corporal. I told you, we have orders to retrieve those documents."

"Aren't you going to drop me off at a base first?"

"No, the documents would be gone before we could get them back. We need to move fast if we want to retrieve them." Troy explained.

The Corporal eyed the jeeps as Troy explained his decision.

"How far are we from an American base?"

"The nearest one is about sixty miles east of here. We can't take the time to drop you off; you'll just have to stay with us until we find those documents."

The Corporal nodded, his eyes still on the jeep.

"Relax. We'll stay here for a couple of hours and get some rest, eat, and then we'll figure our next move. I need to talk to Tully about servicing the jeeps, Hitch should rest."

"I can drive Sergeant. That would give your driver a chance to rest."

"Hitch drives or I do." Troy responded coldly. "Our lives depend on those jeeps; I need to know that whoever is driving can handle a jeep in this sand." He glanced at the Corporal, trying to read him. "Thanks anyway."

"Just offering." The Corporal shrugged.

Troy nodded and went to talk to Tully. "Hey Tully, can you service both jeeps? I don't want Hitch to overdo it."

"Sure Sarge." Tully rolled his matchstick and glanced over at the Corporal. "Do you trust him Sarge?"

"No."

"I'll take care of the jeeps Sarge. What about this guy?" He jerked his head at the Arab.

"Moffitt will take care of him. Tie him up tight until he has time to question him. Then take care of the jeeps. Moffitt is digging out the rations."

"You on guard?"

"Yeah,why?"

"Just thinking." Tully shrugged. "You're going to have to be looking in both directions at once."

Troy smiled. "I'll give Hitch a rifle and he can help."

"You do that Sarge." Tully drawled. "I'll be a lot happier when it's just the four of us again."

Troy agreed wordlessly and hefted his rifle. He picked up the second one and went to talk to Hitch.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine Sarge."

"I want you to rest but I need you to stay awake." The sergeant explained his concerns quietly.

"Got it Sarge."

"Moffitt."

The British sergeant walked over to the jeep and waited for Troy to join him.

He looked toward the Arab and nodded. "He missed the earlier battle. When his friend spotted us and told him about us, they decided to follow us to the wadi. When they realized that Hitch and Tully were alone, they figured that they could capture them and impress their leader." Moffitt looked toward the Corporal. "What was he able to tell you?"

"He says the Arabs emptied the bag before the Germans drove them off. If…and that's a big if… they still have them, we're going to have to deal with them to get them back. We can try buying them back."

"The price will undoubtedly be high."

"I have the gold that I carry to bribe our way out of trouble. I guess we could use that." Troy decided.

"There may be another way."

Troy eyed Moffitt with interest. "You aren't thinking about going in there and trying to steal them back?"

"Hardly."

"Then what do you have in mind?"

Moffitt jerked his head in the direction of the Arab prisoner. "Our guest here is related to their leader, a nephew in fact."

Troy looked over, surprised.

"Perhaps we can arrange a trade; get rid of him, get them off our backs, and get those documents back."

"I can live with that." Troy grinned. "When do you want to start looking for them?"

"I'll ask our friend where to find them. Once he learns that we want to trade him I'm sure that he'll cooperate."

"Tell him that if we take him back with us he'll be tried for trying to murder Hitch. That might give him a little more incentive."

"Revenge…a concept he should understand."

"Right. Let's just hope he's not thinking of revenge for his friend."

Moffitt dug out the rations and passed them around. Tully took one to Troy who was on guard duty.

"Jeeps all taken care of?"

"All done Sarge."

"All right, we'll pull out in a couple of hours. Rest, but stay awake."

Tully nodded and went to sit in his jeep while he waited. Moffitt decided to check on Hitch again before they broke camp. Troy called to Tully to check the ropes on the prisoner in preparation for leaving.

Tully rose and headed for the prisoner. He nodded at the Corporal as he walked past. One minute the Corporal was leaning casually against a large rock, the next he was attacking Tully from behind. The courier raised his hand and brought a fist- sized rock down on the back of Tully's head. His helmet protected him from serious harm but the blow caught him off guard, sending him staggering. The next blow was aimed for his face as he twisted to confront his attacker.

Tully threw one arm up, protecting his face by catching the blow on his forearm. His arm went numb as the rock connected. Tully threw himself backwards, avoiding the rush of the other man. He threw his other arm forward, the one holding the rifle. The barrel caught the Corporal in the stomach, forcing him back a step. Tully took advantage of the extra space to catch his balance.

"Hold it!" Troy yelled as he ran toward the fighting pair.

The Corporal grabbed Tully and pushed him toward the sergeant. As the two men scrambled to untangle themselves and get to their feet, the Corporal jumped into the nearest jeep and hit the starter. His face registered his surprise when the engine failed to start. He tried again with the same result.

"Get out of the jeep!" Troy ordered angrily.

The Corporal looked down the barrel of Troy's weapon. His face paled as he looked into the sergeant's furious eyes.

"I said …get out!" Troy enunciated each word clearly. "Now!"

The Corporal climbed out of the jeep sullenly.

"Are you all right Tully?" Troy didn't take his eyes off of the Corporal as he checked on his private.

"I'll live Sarge." Tully muttered. "Banged my arm up a bit and I'm going to have to borrow some of Hitch's aspirin."

"Moffitt, take a look."

The British sergeant took Tully by the arm and helped him into the seat of the jeep. When Tully rolled the sleeve of his shirt up to the elbow the arm was already black and blue and swollen.

"Can you move your fingers?"

Tully wiggled his fingers gingerly, wincing as the muscles in his forearm protested painfully.

The sergeant pinched and prodded and had him rotate his wrist before he announced a diagnosis. "It doesn't appear to be broken. It's going to be sore, especially when he uses it to drive." He paused to remove Tully's helmet. "You have a goose egg on your head but your helmet saved you from the worst of that. I guess that makes it worthwhile to put up with the heat it generates."

Tully tried to smile. "It's not that hot Doc."

"Well, I for one am glad that you were wearing it." The sergeant declared. "That rock would have done some serious damage."

"It almost put me to sleep even with the helmet." Tully drawled.

Moffitt laughed with relief. "I'll get you some aspirin."

"Moffitt, tie this guy up; he just used up his last chance with me." Troy growled as he looked at the courier.

"How did you know?" The Brit asked as he tied the Corporal. "From the sound of it, you must have had Tully pull the rotors on the jeeps."

"Yeah," Troy admitted, "I had him do it while he was filling the radiators and checking the belts. This guy has been acting strange ever since we opened his cell door. Maybe what happened on the base was fear of getting caught while trying to escape; fear can do funny things to a guy. I guess it was the little things that he said and did afterwards that didn't sit right. I didn't like the way he kept watching the jeeps."

"It's a good thing for us that you're the suspicious type." the Brit replied with a smile. "We're going to need both jeeps when we meet up with the bandits."

"I thought that we were going to make a deal?"

"We are, but they deal much better when we are in a position of power. As long as they fear us we have a much better chance of getting out alive."

"The sooner we get rid of both of these guys the better I'll like it." Troy repeated Tully's earlier sentiment. "As soon as Tully is ready to travel I want to get this deal done."

"He's ready now." Moffitt answered while sharing Troy's desire to finish the job.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Curious Courier Hunt**  
By:AliasCWN

Chapter 5

"Are you all right to drive Hitch?"

"I'm okay Sarge." The blond answered, climbing into the jeep.

"Tully?"

"I'm good." The second driver assured him.

"Moffitt, you and Tully lead out, take the Arab with you. Hitch and I will keep our eye on the Corporal. We'd better stash him before we make contact with the Arabs. You can do the negotiating while we provide back-up."

The British sergeant agreed to the plan with a simple nod. He told the Arab to direct them to his people so that they could arrange an exchange; the Arab eagerly complied. Moffitt alternated between watching the desert and keeping an eye on his driver. Tully was driving one-handed because the jerking of the wheel was sending shots of pain up his arm. Moffitt was concerned that if they ran into trouble Tully might have difficulty controlling the jeep.

Before he knew it, they were approaching the camp of the bandits. Troy dropped his passenger off in a clump of rocks nearly a mile from the camp where he would be out of the way. The Corporal had nowhere to run and no one would find him until they could return for him. Satisfied that he had done all that he could, Troy kept his jeep back to provide cover for Tully and Moffitt.

Tully drove slowly toward the tents of the bandits. Men poured from the tents carrying an assortment of different weapons. Tully was careful to stop out of range of their weapons, forcing them to come to him.

Moffitt cupped his hands to form a crude megaphone and called to the camp. There was a hurried conference among the raiders. Finally, as Moffitt waited patiently, one of the leaders stepped forward and called back. Moffitt asked for an opportunity to discuss a deal. At the word 'deal', the Arab turned to bark an order at his men and then walked forward to speak with Moffitt.

"Watch our guest Tully."

Tully shifted his matchstick and nodded, his hand reaching for the machine gun on the front fender. The Arab in the passenger seat eyed him warily before turning his attention back to the meeting about to take place.

The sergeant met the Arab leader half way. After the initial formalities, the sergeant got down to the terms of the deal he wished to make.

"We have reliable information that says you are in possession of some documents taken from one of our jeeps yesterday. The documents were in a leather bag which we found under the vehicle."

The Arab leader remained silent, neither admitting nor denying the accusation.

"We want to trade for those documents." Moffitt continued.

"What are they worth to you?" The leader finally asked.

"What are they worth to you?" The sergeant ask in return. "They may or may not be valuable to us but they were ours to begin with. We're willing to pay a fair price to get them back."

The Arab smiled. "They are valuable, are they not?"

"I don't know." The sergeant answered honestly. "I have no idea what they contain. I would think that if they were very valuable they would have been guarded by more than two men."

"It's possible that your leaders sought to sneak them through our lands." The Arab suggested.

"Perhaps," the Brit admitted, "but I can't speak to that; I don't know. Are you willing to sell me the documents?"

The Arab gave it some thought before naming a price. Moffitt didn't try to hide his surprise at the outrageous fee. He was shaking his head even before the Arab finished explaining how he had come to that figure. The two men bartered back and forth, getting closer to an agreement. The final price was still high but the sergeant didn't think that the bandits would go any lower.

"The Germans will pay more." The Arab leader suggested.

"Perhaps,….if they didn't just shoot you and take them." Moffitt agreed pleasantly.

"We are not fools," the leader huffed, "we have dealt with them before."

"And they drove you off yesterday."

"We had no reason to fight them yesterday; there was nothing to gain. Today, …maybe today is a different story."

"You will deal with me." Moffitt insisted.

"And if we don't?"

"Then you will not see the return of your young nephew." The sergeant indicated the prisoner sitting next to Tully in the jeep. The Arab squinted his eyes to see who the sergeant meant. They widened in surprise when he recognized the prisoner.

"Why have you taken him prisoner?" The leader demanded angrily. "He has done you no harm."

"Quite the opposite actually." The sergeant replied coolly. "He and another attacked our camp last night and wounded one of our number. If he had been a bit better at it he would have killed our friend."

The Arab considered the answer for a minute, undoubtedly not surprised. "And where is this other man?"

"Dead." Moffitt stated coldly. "He was not so good either."

"What do you want?"

The sergeant smiled with his lips but it never reached his eyes. "I suggest a trade, your nephew for our documents."

"And what payment do you offer for his dead friend?"

"You killed one of ours, you lost one, I think we're even. Remember, both times it was your people who were the aggressors. I suggest that we make the trade and go our separate ways… Revenge can be a messy and costly bargain."

The Arab looked toward the jeep, lost in thought. Moffitt waited, letting him think it through.

"Very well, a trade, the documents for my nephew."

"Deal, but the documents must be complete and intact."

"Agreed."

"I'll meet you right here." Moffitt turned and headed for his jeep. "Tully, be ready to move. He's agreed to the deal, our documents for his nephew."

"Be careful Doc." Tully warned with worry as he watched the sergeant untie the prisoner and help him from the jeep.

"Just be ready."

Tully nodded.

The Arab leader returned to his camp only to be met by his followers and surrounded. An argument erupted but he soon silenced the angry voices. He glanced toward Moffitt before he disappeared through the door of one of the largest tents.

Moffitt walked the prisoner toward the camp as the leader reappeared holding a manila envelope in his hands. The three men met at the same spot where Moffitt had negotiated the deal. The sergeant accepted the envelope and examined its contents. The documents were in code and he couldn't read them but the Arab didn't know that. He pretended to count the pages even though he had no idea how many had been in the envelope originally. The bandit leader didn't show any unease as he counted, convincing him that they were all there.

"Our deal is finished." Moffitt stated, pushing the papers back into the envelope. "Take your nephew and go in peace. I hope this ends here."

"That might be best." The Arab agreed, thinking of the two attempts by his men to take the two jeeps.

"Then farewell." The sergeant responded. "We will be on our way."

The Arab ushered his nephew toward their camp, not looking back as Tully drove the jeep up to pick up Moffitt.

"Don't linger Tully." The sergeant warned as soon as he was seated. "The camp seems a bit restless."

"Only a bit?" Tully scoffed. "I was expecting to look over and see them wearing war paint."

"That would be your native American Indians Tully. At any rate, I don't think that their leader wants to take us on but there are no guarantees that he can control the others."

"I'd bet on you and that 50 against a tribe of bandits anytime." Tully grinned before hitting a bump and groaning in pain.

"Thank you Tully but I'd prefer we never see each other again. We have what we came for," he held up the packet, "I suggest that we get out of here."

"Can do Sarge." Tully pulled his jeep up next to Hitch's jeep as they stopped to pick up the Corporal. "I wonder what his problem is; you'd think he'd be glad to be going home."

"I have no idea," Moffitt admitted, "but I'll be glad to get rid of him."

Their first stop when they got back to the base was the medical building. "Tully, you and Hitch get checked out. We'll leave one jeep here and Moffitt can drive the second one. We'll take the Corporal to see Captain Boggs and meet you back here."

The Captain stood up as Troy and Moffitt ushered the tied prisoner into his office. "Did you get the documents Sergeant?" He ignored the prisoner while he questioned the sergeants.

Troy pulled the envelope out of his shirt and handed it to the Captain. The Captain took it and eagerly checked the contents.

"We also brought you a little something extra." Moffitt pulled the files he had lifted from the German base out of his shirt front. "We figured as long as we were on the German base," he shrugged, "we may as well take a few souvenirs."

Captain Boggs smiled at the remark. "Anything that needs immediate attention?"

"There are references to a German spy placed in our command. You might want to act on it before they have time to warn him."

"I'll get right on it." The Captain promised. He finally acknowledged their prisoner. "Problems?" He indicated the ropes binding the Corporal's wrists.

"I don't think that he's our courier Sir. He seemed awfully content to remain a prisoner of the Germans and he jumped Tully when we said we were bringing him back here. He had the nerve to try to steal one of our jeeps."

"It's no wonder Sergeant; you're right, he's not the courier. The courier was found stuffed in a barrel behind the motor pool this afternoon. Corporal Kashner here got into a fight at the bar and killed a man. The courier makes two murders. I guess he planned to pose as the courier and escape to another base. From there he would have made his way to some neutral country. Now that you brought him back, he can be tried for murder."

"Maybe three murders Sir."

Captain Boggs looked at Troy, startled. "Is Private Pettigrew going to be all right?"

"Tully will be fine sir. I was thinking of the body we found with the jeep. He'd been shot in the back at fairly close range."

The Captain nodded. "I'll send a detail out to recover the body. Maybe they can make a case against the Corporal for him too. He was the real courier's driver."

Captain Boggs called for the MPs and the Corporal was hauled away in handcuffs. Holding up the German files, the Captain smiled at Troy and Moffitt. "Good work, I'll get on these right away. Headquarters will probably want them delivered as soon as possible. Check on your men Sergeant, if they're able, I may have another assignment or you."

The Sergeant nodded and headed for the medical building. They didn't expect their drivers to be admitted for the care of their wounds; after all, it's hard to keep a good man down.


End file.
